By Daniel John Jambun, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) takes note of renewed public discussion surrounding historical citizenship controversies in Sabah following the introduction of Malaysia’s enhanced high-security MyKad system.
We state clearly:
Sabahans are not asking for hatred.
Sabahans are not asking for persecution.
Sabahans are asking for truth, transparency, institutional integrity, and closure to one of the most painful unresolved chapters in Sabah’s modern history.
And this is precisely why BoPiMaFo brought the RCI issue to court.
1. THE WOUNDS OF PROJECT IC NEVER FULLY HEALED
For decades, Sabah has lived under the shadow of serious allegations involving identity documentation irregularities, questionable citizenship processes, demographic manipulation concerns, and institutional failures associated with the so-called “Project IC”.
The impact was enormous.
Public confidence in the integrity of citizenship systems was severely damaged.
Trust in institutions weakened.
Questions surrounding electoral integrity, demographic change, and administrative accountability continue to persist even today.
This is not ancient history.
The consequences are still being felt across Sabah.
2. THE RCI CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE SERIOUS PROBLEMS
The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah was not established for political theatre or symbolic purposes.
It was established because the Federal Government itself acknowledged the existence of serious public concern and institutional weaknesses involving Sabah’s immigration and identity management systems.
The RCI process exposed disturbing administrative failures and longstanding governance concerns.
Yet more than a decade later, Sabahans still ask:
What meaningful implementation took place?
What corrective measures were completed?
Who was held accountable?
Was the integrity of the system ever fully restored?
These questions remain unanswered.
3. THIS IS WHY BOPIMAFO FILED THE JUDICIAL REVIEW
BoPiMaFo’s judicial review application is not about targeting genuine citizens or creating racial hostility.
It is about accountability.
It is about compelling transparency regarding the implementation and handling of the RCI findings and recommendations.
It is about ensuring that institutions entrusted with citizenship and identity management uphold the highest standards of integrity, legality, and public trust.
Citizenship is one of the most sacred legal relationships between an individual and a nation.
Any perception that citizenship may have been manipulated recklessly, irregularly, or for political interests leaves deep and lasting damage on the legitimacy of institutions and national confidence.
4. NEW MYKAD SYSTEMS MUST ALSO MEAN NEW TRANSPARENCY
As Malaysia modernises its national identity infrastructure through enhanced MyKad security systems, the Government must also address unresolved legacy concerns that continue to haunt Sabah.
Technology alone cannot restore public confidence.
Transparency restores confidence.
Accountability restores confidence.
Truth restores confidence.
Sabahans deserve assurance that past failures will never be repeated.
5. THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SABAH
This issue affects all genuine Sabahans regardless of race or religion.
It concerns governance.
It concerns democracy.
It concerns institutional legitimacy.
It concerns the future stability of Sabah itself.
If longstanding concerns surrounding citizenship integrity, demographic management, and institutional accountability are not seriously and lawfully addressed, many fear that within the next generation, Orang Asal communities and genuine Sabahans may become politically, economically, and socially marginalised in their own homeland.
These fears cannot simply be dismissed as paranoia or emotional rhetoric.
They exist because unresolved questions were allowed to linger for decades without meaningful closure.
Ignoring these unresolved concerns will not make them disappear.
A mature nation confronts difficult truths honestly.
BoPiMaFo therefore reiterates its commitment to pursue lawful and constitutional avenues to ensure that the findings and recommendations of the RCI on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah are not quietly buried by time, politics, or institutional silence.
Enough unanswered questions.
Enough avoidance.
Sabah deserves the truth.
